Two Lakhs as Relief For Family of Deceased

  November 12, 2023 By: INSEC

It has been 20 years since Rajkumar Thapa Magar of Hildevi, Sunapati rural municipality-3 of Ramechhap went missing. Even after 20 years, no trace of him has been found. Magar, who became a member of the Maoist party in 2002, was arrested by security personnel in 2003 at Piskar, Sindhupalchok.

He was sentenced to 10 months and was kept in Sindhupalchok jail but was not released; instead, he reportedly went missing under mysterious circumstances. In June 2004, Man Bahadur Magar, the father of the detainee, visited his son in prison. Subsequently, he revisited in December and returned after seeing his son. He expressed that he was unable to visit him as the conflict intensified. Following the peace agreement, he was released from prison however he did not return back home.

Rajkumar’s parents have lost hope of their son’s return. Dhankumari Magar, Rajkumar’s mother, expressed, “There is no hope for his return; neither his body was found nor any news of him being alive.”Man Bahadur and Dhankumari believed that after the country went into the peace process, efforts would be made to search for missing persons, and the families of the martyrs would be respected.However, they expressed sadness as their expectations were not met. Man Bahadur remarked, “The state provided a total of 10 lakh rupees, and thereafter, no further efforts were made. The value of our children’s lives has been reduced to just 10 lakh.”

Dhankumari faced immense difficulty in coping after her son’s disappearance. The mental stress led her into depression, necessitating ongoing treatment and counseling for an extended period.

Even now there is no peace in her heart. She expressed, “My 18-year-old son went missing, and there is no information about his death. Even if he were deceased, it would have brought sorrow, but at least knowing he was killed would be closure. Yet, there is no trace of his fate. How can a mother’s heart find acceptance in such uncertainty?”

Manbahadur expressed that, despite filing a complaint with the Commission of Inquiry into Disappearances, there has been no hearing or resolution.During that period, when Sher Bahadur Deuba held the position of Prime Minister, a complaint was lodged urging him to take responsibility for the incident. Presently, with the Maoist chairman and Deuba in alliance, our pleas remain unheard. The party for which we once fought has not taken any actions to deliver justice. The organizations that work for human rights, rather than the government, do searches from time to time.

Magar conveyed that individuals from various organizations come, hold meetings, and engage in discussions. Nonetheless, leaders from their own party appear uninterested in meeting, and the government has completely ignored us.


Nawaraj Ghimire